Trends and Issues in IDT

1. Chapters in Section V identify trends and issues in IDT in various contexts: business & industry; military; health care education; P-12 education; and post-secondary education. Select at least 3 of these 5 contexts and compare/contrast the IDT trends and issues. Then explain how they are similar or different from the IDT trends and issues in the context in which you work.

Instructional design in business and industry is used to increase productivity in employees.  It is not only used in producing a more knowledgeable workforce, but increasingly for improving employee on the job performance, and solving organizational problems. Instructional designers face challenges including Cross Cultural training issues as well as the need for improved, quick, and inexpensive results. Corporate training is taking full advantage of the benefits of Web-based instruction forcing instructional designers to master these new techniques. In small companies there may be only one designer who will oversee the project, implement, assess, or evaluate the project.  In large companies, there will be multiple designers each working in a different location.  Because they may be located in different parts of the country or various countries, they use technology as a form of communication. Outsourcing IDT is becoming a technique that the larger school districts are implementing. In June my school district began to outsource the custodial work, and they will begin outsourcing transportation and cafeteria work next. 

 A primary area of P-12 focus for instructional design is technology integration to support meaningful learning through the design and development of trainings for the teachers and administrators.  There is a need to equip teachers and administrators with adequate training, tools, and proficiency in 21st century skills. The staff development must be of high quality.  Instructional design develop teacher assessments although they vary from state they are created to evaluate teacher performance, students performance, and the administrators performances.  A lack of technology skills is what prohibit technology integration from successfully being integrated into the classroom. Because of the lack of technology integration, students are not performing successfully on achievement test.  An instructional design in my school district was integrating technology into every classroom.  Our classrooms are equipped with smartboards, presentation carts, Elmos, digitial cameras, etc… We have software that has been purchased by the district for mandatory use by K-5 students, and other software for middle school. 

Those involved in that training as an instructional designer muse produce training that meet the requirements of military as well as the needs of the individual.  Instructional designers for the military face challenges because they recognize that ineffective instruction can have terrible consequences.  They must create trainings that meet the needs of the military, but consider the interest of the individuals.  The role of the instructional designer requires knowledge of learning theories, and instructional strategies and how to use them effectively; understanding how to apply technology at the optimal level to meet the needs of the user in a wide variety of learning environments; ability to create a blend of learning solutions; ability to work within budget; understanding and appreciation of the military culture both at home and abroad as well as the culture of international forces; and the ability to communicate with clients.  The military is different from the business industry because it prides itself on the diversity and the mission scope of each of the independent services.  Instructional designers can provide training to the military through instructor-led classrooms, informal study, eLearning, or a blend of them all.  However issues for instructional designers working with the military are budget limitations, quickly evolving technologies, and time. 

All of the designs have similarities in one way or another.  The business and industry field and P-12 education both have instructional designers who design, develop, manage create assessments to determine levels of performance.  In companies their performance indicators may be increased sales or company profits, whereas in the P-12 education field, assessment indicate student achievement and successful integration of technology.  Instructional designers are entrusted to provide the military with the best recommendations for how and when to apply a theory or a technology in order to achieve optimal learning solutions and to help them stay within the financial and environmental constraints. 

2. Chapters in Section VI discuss global trends and issues in IDT. As the world’s population grows exponentially, we face unprecedented challenges that have implications for learning. How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many? Does our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues? Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US? Why or why not? 

Because we our education system is so grounded in teaching information to make our students successful on test, we have neglected to teach our students about the global problems that exist in our world.  Our students lack an understanding and knowledge of different people, places and cultures around the world.  There is a need for a more rounded, higher quality education for our students and a need for educators to understand the value and necessity of developing lessons based on global education.  We must introduce our students to these global issues at the elementary level so that they can ponder upon logical ideas of how to face challenges such as living in a world with limited resources.

I teach on an IB campus and we incorporate global issues into our lessons.  We raise money for organizations like Learning 4 Limbs.  We are doing a pretty good job of making our students socially aware of the issues that people face around the world.  I am still new in the program, but the more that I am informed the more I want my students to be informed.  Also, my daughter is in the GT program, and they participate in Model UN. I feel that Model UN should be offered to every student on campus and not just the GT students.  The students are introduced to global issues and must debate the best ways to alleviate, or aide a problem.  I became more aware of global issues through helping my daughter research global issues in various countries.   

In our country we are constantly researching to find the best practices to fit our needs.  In business, education, medical, and military, we seek out instructional designer to design, develop, implement, and evaluate improve human performance. Korea uses instructional design minimally, but is increasing.  In education they prefer face-to-face interaction.  Effective instructional design is greatly needed in Europe.  They face cross cultural challenges that instructional design could help.  Japan is slowly taking on instructional design.  They believe in using experience vs. an instructional design.